Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XIV, Soviet Union

266. Letter From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Nitze) to the Under Secretary of State (Katzenbach)¹

Washington, February 1, 1968.

Dear Nick:

Cy Vance wrote to Foy Kohler on November 30, 1966, proposing that we attempt to reach an understanding with the Soviets on the subject of encounters between U.S. and Soviet ships.² Since that time, serious incidents at sea have continued, and the possibilities of collisions or other accidents have increased. The enclosed memoranda to Paul Warnke from Paul Ignatius report two recent incidents.³

While I understand that the Department of State prepared position papers on this general subject for Secretary Rusk and the President in connection with the Glassboro Conference, the matter has not, so far as I am aware, been raised with the Soviets.⁴

Let me urge that, in view of the continuing dangers which are inherent in this situation, you give serious consideration to a prompt approach to the Soviets on the general question of ships in proximity, perhaps along the lines suggested in the enclosure to Cy’s letter of November 1966.⁵ For your convenience, I enclose another copy of that letter and its enclosure.

Sincerely,

Paul

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 32–1 US–USSR. Secret.
2. See footnote 3, Document 171.
3. The enclosures noted here and below are attached to a copy of Nitze’s letter filed in National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 33–6 US–USSR.
4. Written in hand in the margin to the left of this paragraph is the following: “NK: It was raised in an oblique way in the last Rusk-Gromyko letter.” The reference is to Rusk’s January 28 letter to Gromyko concerning the Pueblo incident, transmitted in telegram 106090 to Moscow, January 28. (Ibid., POL 33–6 KOR N–US) A discussion of “Harassment of Vessels at Sea” was included in the position paper on “Bilateral US–USSR Issues” in the President’s briefing book for the Glassboro meetings. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Hollybush I)
5. Katzenbach answered Nitze in a February 9 letter. He noted that in recent correspondence with the Soviets on the Pueblo case the United States had suggested private discussions on ways to avoid USSR-US incidents on the high seas; he therefore wanted to hold off on any new approach for a month or two to see if the Soviets responded. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 32–1 US–USSR)